BAC Water
Bacteriostatic water for injection, USP, in 10mL and 30mL multiple-dose vials. Preserved with 0.9% benzyl alcohol so one vial can be drawn from for 28 days. Dispatched the same business day, shipped free over $100.
BAC Water 30mL
A 30mL multiple-dose vial of bacteriostatic water for injection, USP, preserved with 0.9% benzyl alcohol so it can be drawn from repeatedly for up to 28 days after the first puncture.
View product →
Hospira BAC Water 30mL
Genuine Hospira bacteriostatic water for injection, USP. A 30mL multiple-dose vial preserved with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, supplied in sealed manufacturer packaging.
View product →
BAC Water 10mL
A 10mL multiple-dose vial of bacteriostatic water for injection, USP. The practical size when you are reconstituting one or two peptide vials rather than working through a kit.
View product →
What is bacteriostatic water?
Bacteriostatic water is sterile water for injection with one ingredient added: benzyl alcohol at 0.9%, which is 9 mg per mL. That single addition is the whole product. It suppresses bacterial growth after the rubber stopper has been punctured, which is what turns a single-use vial into one that can be drawn from repeatedly across 28 days.
It is a diluent and nothing more. Its job is to dissolve or dilute something else, and it has no effect of its own. Everything else on this site follows from those two facts.
Why can't you find bacteriostatic water at CVS or Walgreens?
Because it is a prescription product in the United States, not a consumer good. It sits behind the pharmacy counter rather than in the aisles, and the aisles stock sterile water and saline instead, which look similar on a shelf tag and are different products.
Roughly twenty thousand people a month search for it at a named retailer and come away thinking it is hard to get. It is not hard to get. The full picture, retailer by retailer, is on where to buy bac water.
What is the difference between bac water and sterile water?
| Bacteriostatic water | Sterile water | |
|---|---|---|
| Preservative | 0.9% benzyl alcohol | None |
| Doses per vial | Multiple | One |
| Use window after opening | 28 days | Immediately, then discard |
| Suits | A vial used over time | A single preparation |
Side by side on the bac water vs sterile water page.
How much bac water do you need per vial?
Concentration is milligrams divided by millilitres. That is the entire calculation.
| Vial | Bac water added | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mg | 1 mL | 2 mg per mL |
| 5 mg | 1 mL | 5 mg per mL |
| 5 mg | 2 mL | 2.5 mg per mL |
| 10 mg | 1 mL | 10 mg per mL |
| 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 mg per mL |
| 10 mg | 3 mL | 3.33 mg per mL |
The full table and the arithmetic for any combination are on bac water for peptides, and the reconstitution calculator works out anything not listed.
What are the specifications?
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| USP grade | Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP |
| Preservative | Benzyl alcohol 0.9% (9 mg/mL) |
| Sterility | Sterile, non-pyrogenic |
| Container | Multiple-dose glass vial |
| Closure | Rubber stopper with aluminum seal and flip-off cap |
| In-use period | 28 days after first puncture |
| Storage | 20°C to 25°C, excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C |
| Not for use in | Neonates |
Which vial should you buy?
- BAC Water 30mL — the standard multiple-dose vial and the best value per mL, if you will use it inside 28 days.
- Hospira BAC Water 30mL — the same specification with a recognizable manufacturer label, in sealed packaging.
- BAC Water 10mL — the smaller vial, when one or two reconstitutions is all you need.
How do you know what you are getting?
Every lot has its certificate of analysis published in the COA library, listed by lot number. Match the lot printed on your vial to the entry there and you are reading the test result for that exact vial.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is bac water?
- Bac water is bacteriostatic water for injection, USP: sterile water preserved with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. The preservative is what allows a single vial to be punctured repeatedly for up to 28 days instead of being discarded after one use.
- Where can you buy bac water?
- Bac water is bought online from suppliers like this one, from a pharmacy against a prescription, or from a wholesale distributor with a license. General retailers such as CVS, Walgreens and Amazon do not stock it, which is why those searches come up empty.
- What is the difference between bac water and sterile water?
- Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol and can be drawn from for 28 days after the first puncture. Sterile water contains no preservative and is single-use, discarded immediately after opening.
- How long does bac water last once opened?
- Bac water lasts 28 days from the first puncture, which is what the 0.9% benzyl alcohol is rated for. Unopened, it lasts until the expiry date printed on the vial. Whichever date arrives first is the one that applies.
- Does bac water need to be refrigerated?
- Bac water does not need refrigeration. Store it at 20°C to 25°C, ordinary room temperature, with excursions permitted from 15°C to 30°C. Anything you reconstitute with it may still need to be kept cold.
- How much bac water do you add to a 10mg vial?
- Adding 1mL to a 10mg vial gives 10mg per mL, 2mL gives 5mg per mL and 3mL gives 3.33mg per mL. All three dissolve the same 10mg; only the concentration changes.
- Is Hospira bac water different from generic?
- The water is identical. Both are bacteriostatic water for injection, USP with 0.9% benzyl alcohol and both hold a 28 day in-use window. Hospira carries a recognizable manufacturer label and costs more.
- How fast does bac water ship?
- Orders placed before 3pm dispatch the same business day, and shipping is free over $100. Vials travel in rigid protective packaging with no product name printed on the outside.
Important notices
Bacteriostatic water for injection, USP is a diluent used to dissolve or dilute another substance. It is not a treatment for any condition and makes no claim to be one. It contains benzyl alcohol and is not for use in neonates. Discard the vial 28 days after the first puncture.